The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-01-20
SISTER NELL.

II was a very meanly-furnlshed room,
and vet it looked bright and cheerful
tonight, as the light of the single lamp
placed on the table dispelled enough OF
the shadows to soften and round every
angle without disclosing the shabbiness
of the furniture, and the thinness of the
much-worn carpet that covered the
floor.
There were few books on swing
ing shelf over the table, pot OF ferns
on II rude bracket in one corner of the
room, and some cheap chromos tackled
to the wall.
A girl of eighteen, in faded calico
dress, the sleeves of which were rolled
up above her dimpled elbows. was just
wipino her hands on coarse towel,
and making answer to the questions OF
a pale thin-faced child. with large
brown eyes, and a tangled mass of gold
en- curly hair, who sat, proppcd up by
pillows. on the bed that occupied the
corner of the room opposite that where
the ferns we're placed.
.'Are you tired, sister Nell?"
The face of the girl with the towel
suddenly frightened, and she laughed
merrily.
Tired? Not bit. Essie, dearr' she
answered; .'see, it is only eight O'Clock"
pointing TO the face OF the cheap time
niece that ticked on the mantel, land
the dishes are washed, and the room
swept clean, and the slove polished, and
| have two whole hours before ME for
sewing"
..Nlust you sew tonight, Ncl?' asked
the child on the bed, with 4 half-sob in
her voice.
.WhyP"
because and here the
sob came to the surface-''l wanted you
to tell me II story-a real 9ood-falry
story, like the one von told me last
night. Your stories are better than any
that read in the books. and you know
so many"
At this open compliment Nells face
flushed crimson. but she laughed mer-
rily, and seating herself by the bedside,
| took the thin wasted hand OF little Essle
in both her own, and said:
"I'll tell you short one tonight,
Essie, and then you must 60 to sleep.
| Some day. when my ship comes IN -
| she said this Il little bitterly I'll have
all the stories YOU like so well priated
in great big book, full of the qua'nteSt
pictures you ever saw, and with Grim
| son and gold covers. and when I'm
away at work you can sit here and
read them yourself.
.'But if we're rich, Nell. you won
have to go to work, " said Essie little
sharply.
And Nell, with shrug of her round
ed shoulders, laughed again, and began:
| "Once upon time there lived in a
great black forest an ugly and very
wicked ogre"
And in following the fortunes Of the
brave knight who bearded this ogre in
his den and rescued the imprisoned
princess, Essie's great brown eyes grew
! bigger with wondering admiration; and
when mt last the tale ended happily. as
all such stories do. she clapped heI
hands gleefully and fell back among
the pillows with little sigh of content.
ment.
.Now you must go to sleep, Essie. y
said the story-tcller.
And she sat by the bedside until the
ouiveriug eyelids of the little CIR
dropped in slumber
Then stealing softly to the table, she
shaded the lamp, and unlocking The
drawer of an old fashioned bureau
which stood against the wall, took from
its depths little package of neatly
written manuscript. some blank paper
a pen, and bottle of ink.
..It will be 4 great surprise to Essie,
she murmured softly to herself
And drawing the paper towards her
she wrote rapidly, in Il hand as ciea1
and distinct as copper-plate. until tin
clock in the church tower just rount
the corner tollcd the hour of ten.
al timed myself accurately" she mur
mured half aloud; "and''-measurin!
} with her eye the pile of manuscript oil
the table before her-''the book is larg
enough. Some day I'll get out Volum
in. Now for the illustration. Luckily
lI had three-quarters of an hour o
spare time to-day, when the press brok
down, and inspiration enough to dasI
this off"
, She arose rs she finished speaking
and taking down her lunch basket fron
\ a nail driven III the wall, lifted tn
cover and drew out a thin packag
wrapped in brown paper,
It was piece of bristOl-board, o.
which was traced, with bold hand,
nicture that illustrated the story sh
had told that night to her crippled 81:
: ter.
Artlstically speaking. it was yer
faulty picture; but it had the merit {
originality, and there was a certai
viG0r aud tirmness about the lines thu
gave character to the faces OF the giar
ogre, the daring knight, and the in
prisoned princess.
- The girl. with her head supported